No issues with the roads other than that MRNP is closing the Longmire/Paradise gate at 3p (up) and 4p (down) so I had less time than I thought … not an issue for early risers, but for us late birds
First 1-1.5 miles are quiet forest. Some road noise … then a light sprinkle of fairy dusted snow on the forest builds to boot pack trail and a couple of inches by the time you get up to the series of falls. Some of the bridges were hard to see if the footing was clear, but not bad overall.
It was sunny at the start of the hike which made a great rainbow from the falls…
I kept going up to see if I could get up to Van Trump park plateau or Mildred point but the snow was 4-8” or more by the junction with the Rampart Ridge trail so I didn’t make it much past there as I was pretty tired and needed to turn back so I didn’t get trapped behind the gates.
Minimal wildlife- some small animal prints and birds only
Great fungi on the lower part where it isn’t frozen yet… also made a quick stop by Twin Firs trail which has a fantastical psychedelic array of fungi right at the trailhead
Shorter hike today, but pretty and harder than I anticipated in the snow
5.5 miles, 2200 feet
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